Apparatus for making emulsions and the like



2 Sheets-Sheet l I NTOR T, ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR MAKING EMULSIONS AND THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 12, 1933 Aug. 3, 1937,

Aug. 3, 1937. T. ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR MAKING EMULSIONS AND THE LIKE briginal Filed Oct. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' ATTORNEYS res Price APPA'EUS FOR MAKING EMULSIUDNS AND THE LIKE Thomas Robinson, Smithtown, N. K, assignor to Lancaster Processes, Inc., New York, N. 1., a corporation of New York Original application October 12, 1933, Serial No. 693,392. Divided and this application July 12,

I 1935, Serial No. 31,038. In Canada October 5,

UNITED n Claims. (oi. 259-8) it used in the production of emulsions of bituminous after, the enriched and diluted streams of mother 10 substances, such as asphalt. It is to be underliquor are imingledunder conditions of great turstood and will be apparent, however, that the bulence, and the combined and augmented stream utility of the invention is not restricted to the is subjected to agitation and then passes into a niahing of those products and that the new apstorage chamber from which a part of the mam paratus may be used for many purposes other terial is continuously discharged and the rethan for the production of emulsions. mainder recirculated.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. In oneform of the apparatus, two main cir- 572,l30, filed October 30, 1931, Patent No. culating streams are employed with each stream 1,958,020,, dated May 8, 1934, I disclosed an apflowing from the circulating chamber to its own my paratus useful for making emulsions in which operating tube. In each tube there is a set of there is circulated a stream which includes water, helical blades which subdivide the stream into the emulsifying material, and material which has smaller ones, and at one side of each tube and in been emulsified. Into this stream, fresh stock alignment with the blades the material to be to be emulsified, water, and an emulsifying agent emulsified is introduced'into the tube through the are continuously introduced. The 'emulsification wall. In the opposite side of the tube, the water 25 of the fresh stock is then effected by subjecting and emulsifying agent are similarly introduced the stream to the impact action of high velocity and after the enriched and diluted streams are blades beyond the point of admission of the fresh mingled, the resulting stream is subjected to stock, and after leaving the region in which the hydraulic and mechanical shear in the tube with blades operate, the stream enters a circulating the result that a highly efi'ective dispersion of 30 chamber from which a portion of the finished the materialto be emulsified is obtained.

product is continuously removed while the re- The new apparatus includes numerous features mainder is recirculated. of novelty in addition to those above pointed out,

The present apparatus resembles that disclosed such as emulsification under pressure and with- .35 in the application referred to and involves the use out air infiltration, and these features will be of certain of the same principles but this inven pointed. out in the detailed description to follow. tion is a departure from that of the prior appli- In connection with that description, reference cation in numerous respects and the differences may be had to the accompanying drawings, in have made it possible to increase the rate of which 40 production and improve the product. Figure 1 is a view of one form of the new appa- 40 In the new apparatus a stream of mother ratus in vertical section; liquor containing previously emulsified material, Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 water, and emulsifying agent is created, and the of Figure 1; fresh stock to be emulsified .is fed into the stream Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of of mother liquor in a way which results in a Figure 1; I 45 fine dispersion of the fresh stock. For this pur- Figure 4 is a view of part of the apparatus in pose, the fresh stock does not flow directly and side elevation; and freely into the stream of mother liquor but end Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of sections are cut from the streams of fresh stock Figure 1.

and mingled with sub-divisions of the mother Referring now tothe drawings, the apparatus 50 This invention relates to the manufacture of dispersions, emulsions, and similar products, and is concerned more particularly with a novel apparatus, by the use of which such products can be produced rapidly and at low cost. The new apparatus may be employed in the manufacture of a wide variety of products, but for purposes of explanation, the principles of the invention will be described as embodied in a machine to be liquor stream. Preferably, the severing operation referred to is carried. on with high velocity.

rotating blades which have a shearing action and operate in a tube through which the mother liquor stream flows. The blades divide this stream into a plurality of smaller ones which are momentarily kept separate, and the fresh stock is fed through the tube wall at the periphery of the group of blades so as to enter a part of the small str and thereby enrich the mother 5 liquor in those streams. At the same time, water and an emulsifying agent are introduced into the other sub-divisions of the main stream of mother liquor to dilute the liquid therein. Therein the form illustrated includes a bed plate III on which are mounted base Ts I I and I2 which carry b1ockfs'l3 audit for bearings l5 for a shaft l6. In thehorizontal leg of each T is mounted a stuffing box ll filled with oil and containing suitable 55 seal ring assemblies i6 which prevent the escape of liquid outward from the Ts along the shaft which extends through the stuifing boxes.

Mounted on the bed plate between the two Ts is a body member IS, the upper end of which is hollow to form a vertical passage IS, the lower end of which is closed by a partition 20. Just above the partition, the body is provided with aligned outlets 2| and the shaft l6 extends through the outlets and across the lower end of the passage IS. The lower part of the body is provided with an inlet opening 22 through which material may be introduced into the body, if desired.

Between each base T and one side of the body is a disperser tube, generally designated 23, each tube, as shown in Figure 5, being made up of a pair of semi-cylindrical sections having flanged edges 24 connected together by bolts 25. Within each disperser tube, the shaft is provided with spaced sets of impeller blades 26, 21, and these blades are helically formed and their outer edges lie close to the inner surface of the tube. On each side of each set of blades 26, the shaft carries collars 28, 29, having conical surfaces and in registry with each collar 29 is a set of stator vanes 30. These vanes extend radially inward from the wall of the tube and their inner ends are cut off at an angle so as to lie close to the surface of a collar 29. Each set of the vanes is made in two parts, eachpart consisting of a semicircular portion 3l with which the vanes 32 are integrally formed. The two parts 3i lie in contact with the inner wall of the tube and are held against rotation by means of a key 33. The shaft i6 carries conical collars 34 beyond each set of blades 21, these collars lying in the passages 35 formed in upright legs of the base T's II and i2. Mounted on top of the body and the T's is a bowl 36, which has inlet openings 31 which register with the upper ends of the passages 35. Partitions 38 within the bowl overlie the openings 31-, these partitions being inclined upwardly .to a, slight extent, as indicated in Figure 4. Centrally the bowl is provided with an opening 38 registering with the passage I! in the body and leading upward from the opening 38 is a partition 40 which may be of generally conical shape and provided on the upper end with a tube ll having an open top. On top of the bowl 38 is a tubular section 42, the upper end of which is closed by a cover 43 having an outlet opening 44 from which leads a discharge pipe 65. This pipe may contain a valve not shown.

In the wall of each of the disperser tubes 23 are diametrically opposed openings 46 and 41, which lead to the sets of blades 26, and pipes connected to the openings supply material to be emulsified, such as asphalt in hot fluent condition, to the openings 66, for example, and water and emulsifying agent, such as soap, alkali, trisodium phosphate, etc. to the openings 41.

During the operation of the device, the circulating chamber formed by the bowl, tubular section, and cover is filled with a mother liquor containing previously emulsified materiaL water, and emulsifying agent, and the liquor continuously fiows down through the pipe 4| and partition 40, and into the body I. The stream is then divided and part flows through one operatin'g tube'and part othrough the other. The fresh stock to be emulsified is introduced into each tube opposite the first set of impeller blades through an opening, such as that designated, and water and emulsifying agent are introduced through the opening 41.

As the stream of mother liquor reaches the first set of impeller blades in a tube, it enters the spaces between the blades and is thereby subdivided into smaller streams which are momentarily kept separate. The fresh stock enters the streams between the blades at one side of the 'tube, and just as the stream of fresh stock flows into the tube, end sections of the stream are sheared from it and mingled with the liquor in part of the subdivisions of the main stream of mother liquor by the action of the rapidly moving blades. In the other subdivisions of the main stream, water and emulsifying agent are introduced in the same manner. The liquor in part of the main stream is thus enriched while the liquor in the remainder is diluted, and the fresh stock is finely dispersed in the enriched liquor by the blades.

The enriched and diluted streams of mother liquor are rapidly propelled out from between the blades and are mixed together with a whirling motion which is almost at once converted into rectilinear movement by the entrance of the liquid into the spaces between the stator vanes. The liquid issuing from between the vanes then enters the spaces between the blades of the second set 21 and is subjected to violent agitation and is forced onward into the passage 35 and upward into the bowl. The partition 38 which lies over each inlet opening at the bottom of the bowl directs the liquid into the bowl so that it has an I upward helical motion, and the two streams of liquid entering the bowl are kept separate by the partitions for a substantial distance so that upward helical travel of the liquid through a substantial part of the bowl and circulating chamber is insured. Some of the liquid flows then over the top of the partition ll and is recirculated, while the remainder passes out through the discharge pipe 45,

In each operating tube, the action of thefirst set of blades results in the fresh stock being subjected to mechanical shear and the main stream is thereafter subjected to hydraulic shear by the action of the'vanes and the second set of blades. The action of the blades and vanes is increased in effectiveness by the use of the collars on the shaft, since these collars cooperate with the walls of the tube to confine the liquid in the form of a thinannular stream so that the liquid is acted on by the ends of the blades, which are traveling at the highest velocity.

In theapparatus, it will be observed that the only places where a moving part passes through a stationary part are at the discharge ends of the disperser tubes and consequently, the emulsification is carried on without air infiltration. Also, the emulsification is carried on under pressure, the supplies of fresh stock and of water and emulsifying agent being pumped into the disperser tubes under pressure which is augmented by the head of liquor in the storage chamber and may in turn be increased by means of the control valve in the discharge pipe 46.

The admission of the fresh stock and the emulsifying agent against the periphery of the impeller blades produces much better results than are obtained with my prior apparatus, in that the blades shear off the material introduced and deliver it in the form of fine particles into the mother liquor. In other forms of emulsifying apparatus as used heretofore, the material to be emulsified is fed into themother llqi'or in the form of a continuous and usually somewhat viscous stream, and dispersiontakes place slowly and is eifected with great difliculty. The new apparatus gives a rapid emulsification and the emulsion is of improved character because it is more uniform and the dispersion is finer, The prevention of the infiltration of air and the emulslfication under pressure insure that the impeller,

blades will have a high degree of effectiveness in creating the necessary turbulence and agitation, and the use of the partition in the bottom of the bowl results in turbulent conditions in the circulating chamber which also assist in producing uniformity in the finer product.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 693,392, filed October 12, 1933 Patent No. 2,055,612, dated Sept. 29, 1936.

What I claim: i

1. Apparatus of the type described which comprises a circulating chamber for liquid, a conduit for leading liquid from said chamber at one point and returning it at another, a set of impeller blades in said conduit arranged in a circular series with all blades of theseries intersecting a single plane transverse to the axis of said conduit, means for rotating said blades, and means for discharging liquid into the spaces between adjacent blades of said set, said means including an opening into the interior of the conduit in registry with the ends of said blades and having a diameter not greater than the length of said blades measured at right angles to said plane, said blades terminating close to the inner wall of the conduit and operating to cut off end sections of the stream of liquid entering the conduit through said opening.

2. Apparatus'of the type described which comprises a circulating chamber for liquid, a conduit for leading liquid from said chamber at one point M and returning it at another, a set of impeller blades in said conduit arranged in a circular series with all blades of the series intersecting a single plane transverse to the axis of said conduit,

means for rotating said blades, and means fordischarging liquids into the spaces between adjacent blades of the set and includinginlet openings into the interior of the conduit in registry with the ends of the blades of said set and spaced angularly about the conduit, said blades terminating close to-the inner wall of the conduit and operating to cut oil end sections of the streams of liquid entering the conduit through said openings.

3. Apparatus of the type described which comprises a circulating chamber for liquid, a conduit for leading liquid from said chamber at one point and returningit at another, a set of impellerblades in said conduit arranged in a' circular series with all blades of the series intersecting a single plane transverse to the axis of said conduit, means for rotating said blades, radial stator vanes in said conduit at the discharge side of said blades, and means for discharging liquid into the spaces between adjacent blades of the 5 set and including an opening into the interior of the conduit in registry with the ends of said blades, said blades terminating close to the inner wall of the conduit and operating to cut off end sections of the stream of liquid entering the conduit through said opening.

4. Apparatus of the type described which comprises a circulating chamber for liquid, a conduit for leading liquid from said chamber at one point and returning it at another, a set of impeller 5 blades in said conduit, means for rotating said blades, radial stator vanes in said conduit at the discharge side of said blades, a second set of impeller blades beyond said vanes in the direction of flow of the liquid, each set of blades being arranged in a circular series with all blades of each series intersecting a single plane transverse to the axis of said conduit, and means for discharging liquid into the spaces between adjacent blades of the first set, and including an opening into the interior of the conduit in registry with the blades of said first set, said blades terminating close to the inner Wall of the conduit and operating to cut on" end sections of the stream of liquid entering the conduit through said opening.

5. Apparatus of the type described which comprises a circulating chamber for liquid, a conduit for leading liquid from said chamber at one point and returning it at another, a shaft within part of said conduit, a set of impeller blades onsaid shaft, stator vanes extending inward from the wall of the conduit and terminating close to the surface of the shaft, a second set of impeller blades on said shaft beyond said vanes, each set of blades being arranged in a circular series with all blades of a series intersecting a single plane transverse to. the axis of said shaft, and means for introducing liquids into the spaces between adjacent blades of the first set, said means including a pair of openings in registry with the ends of said blades and spaced angularly about the conduit, said blades terminating close to the inner wall of the conduit and operating to cut off end sections of the streams of liquids entering the conduit through said openings.

6. Apparatus of the type described which com prises a circulating chamber for liquid having a closedtop provided with a discharge opening, said chamber having a central outlet above the bottom thereof, a conduit leading from said outlet and containing agitating means, an inlet into said chamber at the bottom and near the periphery,

' said conduit leading to said inlet, and means in the chamber at the inlet for causing liquid entering the chamber to move helically upward therein from the inlet to the outlet.

'7. Apparatus of the type described which comprises a circulating chamber for liquid having a closed top provided with a discharge opening, said chamber having an outlet above the bottom thereof and an inlet at the bottom, said outlet being centrally located and said inlet lying near the periphery of said chamber, a conduit leading from the outlet to the inlet and, containing agitating means, means in said chamber for causing liquid entering said chamber through the inlet to flow helically upward toward said outlet and an opening into said conduit through the wall thereof for admission of liquid.

8. Apparatus of the ,type described which comprises a circulating chamber for fluid, a conduit for leading liquid from said chamber at one point and returning it at another, a set of impeller blades in said conduit arranged in a circular series with all said blades intersecting a plane transverse to the'axis of said conduit and ter-- minating close to the inner wall of said conduit, means for rotating said blades, and means for discharging liquid into the spaces between adjacent blades of said set and including an opening into the interior of the conduit in registry with the ends of the bladesand having a diameter not greater than the dimension of said set of blades lengthwise of said conduit, said blades operating 9. Apparatus of the type described which comprises a circulating chamber for fluid, a conduit for leading liquid from said chamber at one point and returning it at another, a set of impeller blades in said conduit arranged in a circular series with all said blades intersecting a plane transverse to the axis of said conduit, means for rotating said blades, and means for discharging liquids into the spaces between adjacent blades of said set, said means including diametrically disposed openings into the interior of the conduit in registry with the blades, said blades operati to cut off end sections of the streams of liquids entering the conduit through said openings.

10. Apparatus of the type described which comprises a circulating chamber for liquid having a central outlet disposed substantially above the bottom of said chamber, a conduit leading from said outlet, agitating and impeiling means in said conduit, an inlet into said chamber at the bottom thereof, and below said outlet, said inlet lying near the periphery of said chamber and said conduit leading thereto, and a partition in said chamber overlying said inlet and below said outlet, said partition being constructed to cause liquid entering the chamber through the inlet to move helically in its upward travel to said outlet.

THOMAS ROBINSON. 

